"Guys! We really need to get some plans down for the international fair if we want Canada to have anything decent," Pristine said, trying to bring order to the arguing mix of students.

"I still say we should have something about the early Canadians," Calla, a freshman insisted, pushing a stray bang behind her ear. "We can build a replica of one of the clipper ships, maybe bring in some stuff about the Vikings. It can even show off some of the early contact with the Natives," she said, looking for support from both Pristine and Slapshot.

"But that's just the Maritimes," a tiny freshman who went by Wind Dancer said. "What about the prairies and Alberta? We've done a lot for Canada."

Kew rolled her eyes. "You're all forgetting about Quebec, We were there first, and as one of the founding nations it's important to show at least some of Quebec's culture. Ace feels the same way."

"What about the modern stuff about Canada. Show off the many different cultures of Canada that have come from all over the world?" the martial artist Shuttle asked.

"Well I think," Captain Canada started to speak, only to be shouted down by the group as the argument roared back into life.

A Chinese boy in a lab coat who had been sitting quietly off to the side finally spoke. "I thought Canada was about being friendly, and getting along. Why do you have such big argument about this?"

"Sorry Adrenal, you haven't been Canadian very long, so you haven't learned some of the intricacies of Canada," Pristine said.

"The most important being mutual hatred of everyone else in Canada," Calla said.

Adrenal looked very confused. "What? I do not understand."

"It's simple," Wind Dancer, the tiny Albertan girl said, "Alberta is the best province in Canada, and one of the richest. So we're better than everyone else and deserve a lot more respect than we get. The rest of the Prairies can ride on our coattails because they're usually cool."

Slapshot chuckled. "Yeah right, you hicks are too small to matter. Ontario is far better than you, without us Canada would fall apart. You should all be thankful we let you stick around."

"OK there Slappy," Kew said. "If it wasn't for Quebec, Canada wouldn't have any class at all. And we're the only reason you Englishmen didn't join the US. And we all know the best Prime Ministers have been from Quebec."

"All right, I'll put it in simple terms, without the insults," Pristine said, giving the worst offenders the evil eye. "The Maritimes are unhappy with the rest of Canada, because they're so small and think no one listens to them. Everyone ignores the Maritimes because they are so small, and they're constantly asking for money from the rest of Canada."

"We actually kind of like Alberta, they have enough Maritimers working in the oilfields they're practically an honorary member of the club," Calla conceded. Wind Dancer gave her a thumbs up in return.

"Quebec hates English Canada for not being French, and English Canada hates Quebec for not being English."

"You English would just screw up the language if you tried to be as good as us," Kew teased.

"If I may continue?" Pristine asked. "Ontario doesn't realize that the rest of Canada matters, and being elitists wonders why it has to deal with the peasants." The Prairies being the bread and oil basket of Canada think they deserve more respect, which no one gives them because they're just a bunch of farmers and rednecks."

"And proud of it!" Winder Dancer shouted.

"And what do people think of BC?" Adrenal asked.

"You're the weirdo's who get high and make Toronto look normal," Slapshot said.

Lucy wandered around Crystal Hall, taking in the sights. The pest was perched on her shoulder, It had been a good thing that Ribbon had been nearby to provide her a long dress to wear back to the dorm. A quick shower and she felt as good as new. Granted, in about 45 minutes, he’d have to go back in. Sitting down at her usual table, Lucy looked over her lunch. Regen took a LOT of calories, added to that was the fact that her brother couldn’t eat like normal, but rather had to leech nutrients from her. Back on the farm, she could feed 3 or 4 people on what she had in front of her.

Lucy looked around and saw Tanuki looking around uncertainly, clearly at a loss for somewhere to sit. Lucy waved Aggie over, and indicated she should sit with them. The short girl looked at Lucy, then with trepidation, at the creature sitting on her shoulder. She shrugged and walked over. Carefully gathering her loose flowing ankle-length skirt under her, Aggie sat down.

Lucy smiled at Aggie and began the introductions. “Aggie, this nightmare fuel is my little brother, Donnie. Donnie, this is Aggie. We met the other day while you were asleep, and forcing your pornographic dreams on me, you little pervert.”

Donnie did what constituted a shrug for him, since he lacked a neck and shoulders. “What can I say? Fey is hot!”

Lucy and Aggie sat and talked about classes and boys and music, with the occasional interruption from Donnie. After a while, Lucy noticed a girl covered from head to toe in shiny black latex, over which she was wearing her school uniform. She had on a pair of goggles, and what appeared to be some sort of filter mask.

Lucy pointed to the girl with a gesture of her head. “Who is that?”

Aggie looked quickly, before turning her head back. “Oh, that’s Motherload. I’m surprised you haven’t encountered her before. She lives over at Hawthorne. Don’t you live there?”

Lucy nodded. “Yeah, but I really don’t spend a lot of time there, it can be pretty depressing, at times.”

Aggie Turned and motioned for Motherload to come over. “Hey, Angie! Come on over, I have someone I want you to meet!”

The tall, curvy girl came over. She was very shapely, and looked like some fetish Doll lover’s fantasy. She had to be close to 6 foot tall.
She struck a very imposing figure. Sitting down, her head turned towards Aggie, and then towards Lucy, she seemed to be staring. Lucy realized she was looking at Donnie.

Aggie introduced the girl. “Angie, this is Lucy, and her brother Donnie. Guys, this is Angie.”

A very Vader-like hiss came from the mask, and then a soft, gentle voice. “That.. is your brother?”

Donnie approximated a frown, which isn’t easy with a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. “Hey!”, he exclaimed.

Lucy nodded. “Yeah, I’m called Host. Most of the time, Perv-boy here lives inside my chest cavity. But he needs to come out for an hour or so each day, which he does in a very… painful way.”

Donnie huffed. “I said I was sorry this time!”

Lucy flicked him in the face with her finger, which caused him to hiss at her. “Anyhow, If not for the fact I’m an Exemplar and a very high Regenerator, I’d probably die from it.”

Angie looked at Donnie, after another hiss, she asked, “And what about you?”

Donnie smiled, those ferocious fangs showing. “Besides a telepathic link with big sister emo here, I am a Warper and an Energizer, I can essentially make myself into a super dense bullet, and fly at things at high speed.”

Lucy looked at Angie. “How about you?”

Angie’s head tilted down, and her shoulders slumped. Her mask emitted another hiss. “My mutation is kind of difficult to talk about.”

Angie sighed, and after another hiss, she continued. “When I first manifested, it was after my cat brushed against my shoulder. I felt an irritation and pain, and I went upstairs to sleep it off. When I woke up in the morning, I had a large swollen bump on my shoulder. My parents took me to the doctor and after x-rays and examinations they discovered it was a… for lack of a better term… womb. They kept me in isolation and monitored me. The growth grew and got bigger. After several weeks, it burst and the kittens were born.”

Aggie had evidently heard this story before, but Lucy and Donnie sat there, mouths gaping.

Another hiss, and Angie continued. “After that first incident, I was kept in isolation, however on a couple occasions flies managed to get into the chamber and when they landed on me, more blisters formed. After a few days, those popped and maggots fell from them.The doctors diagnosed it as “Genetic Adaptive Syndrome”, which is a fancy way of saying that when I come in skin contact with any other animal, I absorb its genetic pattern, and my body starts to gestate a copy. After a while they developed a crude version of this isolation suit for me.”

Aggie slid closer to the tall girl and gave her a hug. Angie tussled her hair. There was another hiss. “After that, I was allowed to return home, but there was an accident. I was in the shower one day, and I slipped getting out. I fell and hit my head on the sink. My mother had heard the commotion and rushed in. I was okay, but in her panic, she touched me. Nine months later, I gave birth to my little sister.”

There was a pause, and everyone slid over to hug her. Another hiss indicated that Angie was about to say something. “Thanks everyone, but I’m okay. Mom and Dad are raising her back home, while I’m here. It’s tough. I have a daughter via my mother that genetically is my sister, I can’t hold her, I can’t touch her. But I still love her. That’s why I’m here. Whateley has some of the best geneticists and medical personnel in the world, If they can’t find a cure for me, nobody can.”

Sensing the somber tone at the table, Angie’s filter mask hissed again. “Guys, don’t feel too bad, It’s not all bad… I mean, I can also lift a truck over my head… so there is that.”

The tension broken and lunch nearly done, everyone said their goodbyes. Donnie and Lucy slunk off to find a private spot to re-integrate.

Pejuta rounded the alley's corner and swore as she skidded to a stop. All she needed to do to win the sim was escape, but this was a dead end. She was exhausted, and the Grunts were closing fast, somehow able to see through her ghost walking spell. She was out of arrows, had lost both tomahawks, had been disarmed of her knife, and was forbidden to use Tatanka for this scenario. She and the rest of her team had managed to ruin Slapdash's armor, take out the baby Grunts, and seize the artifact she'd been tasked with stealing, but now she was the only one left standing. The rest had been picked off one by one, and Pejuta was struggling to stay upright as she glanced frantically around the alley looking for an escape that didn't exist. She only had one choice left. "Alright, Gunny!" she shouted at the reddening sky. "You wanted offensive magic? Well, here it is!" She took a trembling swig from her special flask and began to cast.

Slapdash kicked off a dumpster and bounced over a pile of broken pallets to land in Pejuta's leg of the alley. As he hit the ground, Mule burst through the side of a building with Bunker behind him while Bomber and Lancer dropped into the alley from above. "You're cornered!" called Mule to the shaking girl his team had run ragged. "Surrender!"

"Kiss my hairy ass!" shouted Pejuta as she released her spell. The walls of the alley squirmed and became hot, sweaty flesh, and she staggered aside to reveal that the dead end of the alley now featured a large, quivering sphincter. Pejuta gritted her teeth and used the last of her essence to recast her shield just as the sphincter gave way, spewing over a million gallons of steaming diarrhea into the alley like a manhole sized fire hose. "Eat shit and die!" she screamed as the fecal flood slammed the Grunts through the opposite wall.

When Mule and Lancer finally pulled themselves out of the reeking mess, Pejuta was long gone. They just had time to hear the last echos of Gunny's sadistic laughter rolling down from the evening sky like thunder before the sim went black and the soulless voice of the system informed them they'd lost.

"That's my girl," Gunny whispered to himself as he rose from his seat in the control room. He allowed one last chuckle before putting on a scowl and stomping into the debriefing room to give everybody a thorough reaming.

I am the kernel that pops in the night. I am the pain that keeps your dentist employed.

The Witch grinned eagerly as she drank the last dregs of her beloved frappuccino. In approximately thirty seconds her new plaything would enter the Crystal Hall. Grooming this cat's-paw was proving to be particularly pleasurable, though she couldn't quite put a finger on precisely why. His connection to Kayda Franks, perhaps? His budding friendship with Solange and the leverage that provided? His soft, luscious fur? The way he-

"Hey!" shouted Mary as she set down her tray and lunged across the table to seize her already vibrating friend's drink. "You know you can't have this stuff!"

"You're too late!" she cackled.

Mary scowled at the empty frappuccino bottle. "Dammit, Teri!" She began admonishing her diminutive friend on the perils of hyperactivity, but the Witch was too busy watching the doors to pay any attention. And the other doors. And the doggy. And the open doors that Danny Franks was cautiously walking through.

"KITTY!" she screamed as she launched herself into the air and wove through the students at the blistering pace of a hummingbird on meth. "Kitty kitty pretty kitty itty bitty flitty kitty!"

"Kill me now," Danny muttered as the fairy girl draped herself over his rapidly fuzzing head and began scratching his ears.

"That's basically what I'm doing!" the Witch said cheerily. "I'll wear you down and build you back up and then you'll be my pet minion forever and ever and ever!"

"Please don't."

She smiled and pulled a maroon collar with a bell on it from her genuine Möbius brand handbag, then slid down his face to show it to him. Danny stared at it in horror as her vibrating intensified, and then she vanished in a blur to secure it around his neck. "This kitty's mine, hallelujah! This kitty's mine; so fine!" She punctuated the song by kissing the back of his neck before zipping around to kneel on his shoulder. Danny tugged awkwardly at the padlocked collar as she scratched behind his jaw with a giggle. "So, Kitty, now that you're mine I can't keep calling you Kitty. You need a name!"

The Witch fluttered down to hover in front of him, resting her head on his throat as she reached around to massage his neck. She could feel his purring rumbling through her body as she used her wings to press herself against him. It was so soothing. "You are a very good kitty, Donald!"

"I'm Danny."

"And you aren't just the best kitty, Donald, or even the best kitty-Donald! You're the best Donald, kitty! Oh yes you are! You are! You are the best Don! The very best!" She zipped up to hug his cheek as she transitioned into song. "Like no Don ever was! To catch you was my real test! To train you is my cause!"

"I don't need-"

"We will travel across campus, plotting far and wide!"

"Teri! Everyone's looking at us!"

"No other Don can comprehend the power of nine lives!"

"Teri! Stop it!"

The Witch unlatched from his face and hovered in front of his stomach. "Little Don-Don is cranky! He must be hungry. Oh yes he is! I hear those rumblies in his tumbly!" She darted up and grabbed him by the collar. "Come on, Donald! You need your breakfast so you can grow up to be a big, strong minion! I mean pet!" She continued in a sing-song voice as she dragged him to the food line. "Now eat! Now eat! This is a very important treat! It's time to take pancakes, bacon! Now eat and eat and eat!

"Okay! Okay! I'll get some food! That's what I was trying to do in the first place before you started harassing me!"

"Good kitty!" She released his collar and patted his nose as he got in line, then she started racing around his head in circles. "Very good! So good that while you're doing this, I'm going to reward you with a good grooming!"

"I- what? No!"

She made a cartoony tire-skid sound with her voice as she stopped in front of him with a shocked expression that rapidly transitioned to a disappointed pout. "But I thought you like it when I groom you?"

"In private," Danny hissed.

The Witch burst into a mad grin. "Oh, is that all? I'm not going to take your clothes off in the Crystal Hall, silly! I'm grooming you to be a minion, not a stripper!" Before he could question that, she pulled a cat brush out of her bag and darted under his shirt. "See?" called her muffled voice as she began running the brush through his fur. "You've got all the privacy you could dream of! And it's oh so warm and soft and cozy in here!"

Danny's eyes twitched as his peers jeered, sneered, and leered. "Teri!" he hissed over his purring. "Cut it out! Everyone's staring at me! And some of them are whistling!"

"Don't worry!" the Witch giggled before launching into yet another song, this one a little bit slower than the others. "I'm a little fairy flirt, but they can't see beneath your shirt! So don't worry! Be happy! 'Cause when you worry your purr will stop, then you won't make good minion stock! Don't worry! Be happy! Stay furry and happy, now! Oooooo oooo ooo oooOooo oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo... Don't worry! I'm brushing out my kitty's fuuuur... Be happy! I'm iiiinside his shiiiirt... Don't worry, be happy!"

"Teri, I swear-"

"No!" shouted the Witch as she popped her upper body out through the neck of his shirt. "Don't swear, Don-Don! Swearing is dangerous and I need my pet kitty minion."

"You keep calling me your minion," Danny muttered nervously as he stepped forward in line and finally got to start slopping food onto his tray. "What do you even need a minion for?"

She extricated herself fully, snatched a strawberry from his plate, and then flew up to his ear to stage whisper. "I need your help so I can out-sexy that whore Fey! And I need you to be a better Don-Don than Don so I can show him what-four and what-five and what-six. Oh oh oh, and we also need to prank my old teacher, so don't freak out when I start following you around with the pooper scooper! I need supplies for the prank and they don't always sell what I need at the campus store! Also, I require many cuddles and somebody to sneak frappuccinos to me past Mary the Meddling Meddler!"

"I'm not doing those things." He glanced around nervously, then added in a whisper, "Except the cuddles. Cuddles are nice. But I'm not doing those other things."

The Witch laughed giddily between bites of the strawberry. "That's what they all say! But try to understand; try to understand; try, try, try to understand... I've got a magic plan, Don-Don! Ohhhh, you're in my magic hands."

"I'm doomed."

I am the kernel that pops in the night. I am the pain that keeps your dentist employed.

Inside the magic classroom the freshman students were murmuring to themselves about the unknown 5th year senior who was supposed to be the teacher’s student aid. Just then the teacher with dark hair and eyes so old only those in front could see strode in. She waved the rowdy freshman into settling into their seats, before starting her opening statements of the class.

“Now, I’m sure all of you have had the chance to meet Kodiak. He is one of our 5th year seniors, but the other one has volunteered his time away from his own classes to help tech up and coming mages. So please welcome my new TA, Tom the Lich.” Circe exclaimed to the class and inflecting with her voice that the unknown being should walk through the door.

Tom didn’t walk through the door. Instead a small boy got up from the back of the classroom and walked towards the front. His black hair slicked back the same shade as his Whateley blazer and trousers. The class began to giggle at the thought of this small boy being their teacher. He certainly didn’t look like it. When the boy got to the front of class, his body erupted in green flames burn away his disguise. Leaving behind a seven foot tall skeleton wrapped in robes of pure night, and a pair of light blue flames flickered with delight in the eye sockets.

“Hello, I’m Tom. I like death, destruction, and raising the dead. I hate cute things, Generator, Team Kimba, Wondercute, Generator opps…already said that….Umm…Yea soo history lesson. I’ve been around since the dark ages. Around 800 years, and I’m looking for a new apprentice….Someone to pass the torch if you will…You won’t really learn anything. I’ll just take over your body and eat your soul. This body is nothing, well nothing but bones that is.” Tom said pointing to his own ribs letting the silence of the class slice through him. “Any questions?”

One freshman girl raised her hand. “Yes, you in the back.” Tom pointed out.

“Umm…I want to join Wondercute, does that mean you will hate me?” The small girl asked fidgeting in her seat. Only to be pushed deeper into her seat as Tom walked to her silently like death.

With a flick of his skeleton hands a small green cloud of smoke puffed into existence before being waved off. Left in the middle of her desk was a small tub of opened ice cream. The girl looked at in awe, as the frozen cream inside was jet black with hits of green.

“NEED A SPOON?”
Tom insisted handing the girl a solid ruby spoon.

Taking the spoon with trembling fingers the girl took one small slice of the ice cream and put it in her mouth. Letting the cream melt in her mouth. Not tasting anything she dipped the spoon into the tub again for a bigger chunk. This time however the moment the ice cream touched her tongue she threw herself to the floor clutching the sides of her face. Her mouth disobeyed her brain locking down on the horrific taste. She forced herself to swallow.

Just then an explosion of glitter and smoke. Jade strode through the hole in the wall dressed in her sailor fuku outfit and screamed “STOP! ENEMY OF CUTE!”

Tom simply hissed in response his normal cool blue eyes red with fury and evil. Turning himself into a giant shadow and flew out the window and escaped the cute crusader.

Jade spotted the fallen recruit in the middle of the class. Running over to the newest member. Jade held the limp body in her arms shaking her trying to wake her. The girl was weak. The cute had been sucked out of her. “What did he give you?! Tell me!” Jade screamed. The girl could only point weakly at the tub of ice cream. Dipping her finger in the tub Jade then licked it clean. Waiting for the taste to hit her.

“Black licorice and wasabi ice cream…..TOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!
” Jade screamed shaking her fists at the ceiling before running out the hole in the wall.

The Witch looked up from her bed as her slave entered the room. "Did everything go as planned?" She asked.

"Yes, Mary," Teri answered, hovering in midair, head down, eyes black. "I was able to join the Cutettes, they don't suspect anything."

"Good, and how did Danny take it?" the Witch asked, a smile coming to her face as she felt the true emotions of the little fairy through their bond.

"About as well as you expected, Mary." Tears formed in her eyes now that she was alone with her mistress and didn't have to project the happy go lucky image of her mask. "I humiliated him in Crystal Hall by forcing him to wear your collar. Some of the girls didn't want to laugh but as soon it was in place no one could stop laughing or wanting to pet him. Then I saved him from some Juniour boys by flying him away professing my love for the," she stopped a second to sob, "the cute kitty around half of Whateley."

The Witch started to laugh as she relived the moment through her slaves memory. "Excellent, that little freak will be begging for help by the end of the week."

"Please, Mistress," Teri began, "You promised to help me get back to my family. I've done everything you wanted."

"I never promised that, I promised you'd find happiness again. You simply assumed I'd help your parents come to terms with your freakishness. But I do keep my promises, so... Slave you have done a good job, be happy. And forget all about your family, they don't matter."

Teri silently screamed as her memories faded away. It only lasted a moment though as sheer bliss at knowing she'd pleased her mistress overcame her. Falling onto her bed, she stared happily at the wall, her mouth stretched into an oversized grin.

The Witch ignored her slave/roommate, the little freak would be silent until she was needed. She chided herself at not thinking to remove the memories of Teri's family earlier. She had to allow the freak a little more autonomy than she had with her previous slaves to avoid suspicion, but the constant moaning about her family had grown bothersome. The Witch wondered how much more she could alter her slaves memories before it become too noticeable.

"Only because you look so hot," Teri said just as quietly from her perch on Mary's shoulder.

"Sure, everyone knows, grey skin with black lines through it is the must have look this season. I should get some more makeup," Mary said, tugging at her sleeves to hide more of her skin.

"If you don't stop that," Teri warned, "I'm going to go through your closet and steal everything that isn't shorts, t-shirts and skirts. You look great, now own it!"

Whatever Mary had been about to say was left unsaid as they saw Aegis harassing a Whitman girl. "Teri! Don't-" But it was too late, the fairy had disappeared.

Hoping to keep her roommate out of trouble, Mary straightened her shoulders and strode forward trying to look as confident as possible. Aegis had only seen her with makeup on, looking like a normal girl, so if she acted fast she might be able to resolve the situation while the ass was still confused.

"Come on Blair, let's get away from this asshole," Mary said, wrapping a protective arm around the girl who had bright yellow canary feathers and a small beak. Both girls began walking hurriedly away.

"Hey! I'm not going to let you villains get away that easily!" Aegis shouted.

"I just want to get to class, ASSHOLE!" Blair squawked. "I didn't ask to look like this!"

Aegis didn't get the message, ranting about super villains he stormed after them and grabbed Mary by the shoulder.

"No touching!" Teri shouted from around Aegis' feet. She had gotten a nylon rope from somewhere and using her speed wrapped it around the boys hand two or three times before he could blink. Then she was flying backwards, wrenching the boy away from Mary, and dragging him behind her.

While Aegis screamed bloody murder, he was was hauled over to a tree, and hung by his arm as Teri tied him very securely to a branch. Satisfied with her work, Teri grabbed him by his nostrils and said, "Aegis, the next time I see you bothering a Whitman girl, I will turn you into a human pinata. GOT IT?!"

Not bothering to listen to his reply, the fairy flew back to the two girls giggling madly. "So anymore bullies I can beat up today?"

"I understand where you're coming from," said Louis with a sad smile. "I used to hate running. But now I actually miss it, cramps and all."

Christine winced. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive. But God do I ache! Caitlin is imp-lacable!" She chewed the last of her pasta. "Speaking of lakes, a good hot soak is what I need. With bubbles. First thing when I get home." She signaled to Dave to bring her bill, then groaned when he just nodded and headed to another table first.

"Tell you what, Christine. You don't need to wait for him. Tonight'll be on me. You just go ahead and get out of here."

"That's sweet of you, Louis, but I can wait."

Louis frowned as the presence he was sensing continued getting closer. "No, Christine, I mean it. Go on home and get that bath. You deserve some relaxation."

"Look, he's almost done. I'm not going to imp-ose on you. I know about that lawsuit with the plushie company. You have enough to deal with as it is."

Louis sighed to himself. If he'd been paying more attention instead of moping earlier, he'd have had enough time to convince her, but now it was too late. Even if she agreed to let him pay right now, she wouldn't quite be out of here fast enough. He shrugged and added a bowl of illusory popcorn to his projection as she paid the bill. Maybe there would at least be some imp-ressive fireworks to watch.

Just as Christine finally turned to leave, the door of the Brown Moose opened to admit Williams. She stiffened and they glared silently at each other for a few seconds as conversation died down, then she threw a smoke bomb and vanished from sight. Well, from most people's sight. Louis could still sense her standing there as Williams gave a disgusted snort and headed toward an empty table. Christine began creeping slowly toward the doors while conversation resumed, careful not outpace her chameleon effect. Not much of a firework show, Louis supposed, but that was probably for the best.

"You know," said an off-duty security officer at a nearby table, "that's really the best power."

"Really?" said his incredulous companion, wrinkling her nose as she waved her hat to fan away the smoke. "I think it stinks. It's very inconsiderate to use it indoors."

"No, not the smoke. The teleporting."

"Oh. Yes, that part would be nice."

"Nice? Think of how much time it would save! It's damned amazing is what it is!"

"Well, that's a bit hyperbolic, but yes." She set her hat upon her head and fished out a few bills for the tip, and then the two left their table. "Eliminating transit time would be quite convenient."

The officer laughed as they walked obliviously past Christine, still slowly working her way toward the door. "In the time it's taking us just to leave the restaurant, I bet she's already teleported directly into her bathroom, ditched her clothes, and hopped right into the bath."

"A hot, ready bath she could have drawn in advance by teleporting home briefly near the end of her meal."

"Exactly! God, she is so lucky! I'd kill for a good hot bath right now. Chasing these kids around really wears a guy out, let me tell you."

"Murder won't be necessary. I happen to be in possession of a suitable bathtub, and I'm certain we can find a means to entertain ourselves while we wait for it to fill."

Christine moved another slow foot across the floor while the doors swung shut behind the lovebirds. Louis suppressed a chuckle as he watched her glacial progress. After a few minutes he had his projection get up and push the door open, and he smirked as she slipped through it with him. Leaning casually toward her invisible ear, he whispered, "They're already in that tub, you know."

"Lime Jello it is."

Louis laughed. "Before you commit to that, Christine, I want you to know that you've been a bad influence on me."

"Oh?"

"There was a bottle of hot sauce near the soup Rick was preparing for Williams. I may have accidentally spilled some."

Christine grinned. "Jellogeddon averted."

"That's a relief. You have a good evening, Christine."

"You too, Louis."

"Oh, I already am. I tricked Centurion into turning up my pool's heater when he served detention earlier. There's going to be a huge mess for Aegis to clean up tomorrow, but it's so worth it."

"Wait," said Christine as his projection began to fade. "You mean you've been soaking in a hot tub this entire time?"

"Mads, is the school really supposed to let overgrown vatjobs like that bully the little kids?" Lars was getting the idea that Fen and Mads hadn't been as overprotective as it originally looked.

"ehm, No. Keep an eye on 'em while I call it in - in case the cameras didn't pick up."

Lars did as asked, noting that his brother - wizkid or not - was now angling towards the escalating altercation. So too, was another guy who had just left the cafeteria. On the bright side, he'd been told that many of the kids with the cos-sculpted looks were usually faster and stronger than the norms, as if they had been cybered up at the same time. In this case... ouch!.

"And that, lillebror, is how NOT to take a punch."

"I know. 'Can't hit what ain't there'. Holy f--!"

"Word of warning. Ember practices on the heavy weapons ranges for a reason. Miranda's control's getting better, I see. Hang back a minute and copy visual?"

"Null sheen on that"

"Thanks! Oy! You two stick around. Chibi evil, I will tell the Evil One and the Greater Evil Bitch if I have to."

Both girls realized that they weren't in a lot of trouble, not from the Auxiliary Security kid. The other guys? That was different. Miranda giggled, knowing how badly appalled her sister would be if she repeated half the things she heard crossing the boy's mind.

The kid yelled back to his own younger sibling, "Lars! Change of plan: watch the vic until the morning shift gets here?"

He then turned his full attention on Bully No. 1, "Ron Stoppable! How nice of you to drop in. But if you don't stop moving, your face and Mister Nine Millimeter are going to be having an intimate conversation."

"You little piece of-"

"Ah ah ahhh! Ladies are present, I'm with Security myself, and you are going to go peacefully with the boys and girls in their nice pressed uniforms, or else."

"Else what, maggot?"

"That will be Our Little Surprise. Self-defense y'know."

"Jensen! Would you please stand down? We've got this."

"Hi, Officer Mendez. Top of the morning to you! Perp here says he wanted to spend some personal time with Maggot today, anyway."

"Oh HELL no, you freak!"

"Stoppable - shut the fuck up. Jensen - Just. Go check on Aegis. He's right over ... Madre de Dios! There are two of YOU, too?"

"Nah. My little bro's just visiting. Larceny, what you got on the flatscan?"

"I'm calling it a concussion in addition to the obvious. Help me roll him into recovery position?"

"Sure. I'll hold the head and neck... Officer Simpkins?"

"Got it. You young ladies hang here for a minute. Aegis in a bad way this time?"

Chris woke up again to hear the tail end of "... do it now, the surgeon will have to re-break it all to pull bone shards out of the sinuses."

That sounded like a very good reason to pass back out.

Waking back up to the biggest lady doctor he'd ever seen reaching for his face, and OMG she was greenish gray and she had horns!... Chris decided then and there he'd died and was in hell, before passing back out again.

He repeated the sentiment later that evening to one of the doctors. She assured him he was not in Hel, because a Certain Problem Student of hers was getting Detention the next time he took someone, no, anyone there again. Then she added a note to her patient's chart that he should be evaluated for blood pressure problems, on the basis of his recent fainting spells.

Ray 'Render' Banks greeted the small grouping of new kids with a polite smile and said, "Okay, now that you're all here, let me welcome you all to the Bad Seeds hang. Yes, we're all the children of various supervillains. You don't have to hang out with us and nobody needs to know who your parents are., But we ARE a resource that-"

"That's NICE," sneered one of the new girls, a sleek blonde who, to Ray's practiced eye, had 'budding exemplar' written all over her. With frosty blue eyes flashing, she and a gorgeous girl with the features of a classic Mediterranean beauty and the body of a fitness model, stepped forward. "Because, it seems that that information is now common knowledge! Sophia and I have not only gotten shoehorned into Poe Cottage- when I know that my Dad was actively lobbying to get me into Melville- but they put the two of us together in the same room! Some chick named 'Goodkind'- and I mean, GOD, a Goodkind at Whateley? What's THAT about?- she has dossiers! On BOTH of us! Now there's no way that the Administration is gonna violate confidentiality to a student, so the question IS: WHO'S IN CHARGE OF YOUR SECURITY?"